Ask Cynthia a Question – March 25, 2014

Ginny asked: We have a lime tree in our yard. The limes turn yellow if they’re overlooked and left on the tree after the picking season. They look like giant lemons. Do we have a large yellow lime or limes that have turned into lemons?

My answer: What you have is a large, over-ripe yellow lime. It can be eaten or used in cooking the same way you’d use lime or lemon juice and zest. I use less lime juice when I’m replacing it for lemon juice because lime seems stronger to me than lemon juice, but that’s just my personal taste. Most chefs will say they are interchangeable.